People often ask me if I spend my days going around Memphis looking for cool things to do, and when I'm not writing or working online, that's exactly what I'm doing. Here are a few of my favorite things I've seen recently that I think you'll like, too.

I met up with Kirk from the Flying Saucer, who treated me to a preview of their current beer flight special. For $10, you can get a flight of 5 dessert beers paired with some sweet treats.

Here's Kirk Caliendo manager of Flying Saucer downtown. He's a great guy who knows all about beer.

The first two beers of the flight were the Blanche de Bruxelles and the Ommegang Hennepin farmhouse ale, paired with a lemon mini cupcake and some gummy peaches, respectively. I tend to like heavier, fuller beers, but these had a good crispness to them. The third beer was my favorite, a Brooklyn Brown paired with a peanut-caramel cluster. It was well-balanced and a little bitter in a good way. Probably not what you'd traditionally think of as a sweet or dessert beer, but with the candy it totally worked.

Next was Young's Double Chocolate Stout, which had a creamy texture with a hint of coffee that enhanced dark chocolate covered blueberries paired with it. The final beer was a sweet, tart Lindeman's Framboise (raspberry). This did not taste like beer to me – more like a raspberry soda. It was paired with a big, juicy chocolate covered strawberry, so it was really like the dessert of the dessert flight.

Both the downtown and Cordova Flying Saucer locations are offering the Valentine's Dessert Beer Flights everyday through Feb. 14. They are going to switch up the beers and desserts, so you might not get exactly what I had here, but the adventure is part of the fun, no?

Batch Memphis is a clever way to sample locally-made products. Every month, the Batch masterminds select a handful of Memphis-made goodies that follow a theme and deliver them, all wrapped up, to your house. January was their first month in town, and the theme was "Good Morning Memphis".

In the first Batch, I got:

– Two bags of Yippie Hippie Granola , chocolate and regular. How have I not tried this granola before?! This stuff is seriously tasty, so if you missed this Batch or haven't tried it, I recommend it. – A bag of Reverb "Costa Rica" coffee beans that filled my kitchen with a lovely aroma and made a good, strong cup.– Nourishe gluten-free, grain, and dairy-free sweet potato waffles. I haven't had a chance to make these yet, but I'm excited to hear about a local company that caters to gluten-free foodies.– Handmade goat milk soap from Heart of Eden. Mine was "spearcalyptus" scented – so fresh and so clean. – A cute "good morning" kitchen towel.

The February Batch is still on sale, and will be delivered around Feb. 18. You can get a one-month subscription for $37.99 (the retail value of the contents, includes shipping) or a three-month subscription for $90. You won't know what the items will be, but you do know the theme ahead of time. February's Batch Memphis theme is "Sugar & Spice". You can buy it here. I think it would make a great gift for a foodie/locally-made-stuff appreciator.

I took a preview tour of the National Civil Rights Museum, which has been undergoing renovations for several months. Some exhibits are still open to the public (see here for details), but the Lorraine Motel Building will reopen on April 4.

Interactive video about the impact of the March on Washington on the Civil Rights Movement.

The renovations include more experiential and interactive exhibits to the museum that will tell the story of the Civil Rights Movement in a really engaging way. I was engaged just hearing about the plans for the new material, so I can't wait to see it when construction is complete.

Last Friday (Jan. 31) I went to my first Spillit Slam at Amurica Photo. Here's a picture of the turkey/crowd/atmosphere (thanks @alliemounce via Instagram). I definitely recommend going to a Spillit event if you're looking for something different, whether or not you decide to stand up and tell your story.

Those are just a few of the things I've seen lately I thought y'all would want to hear about. What's your latest Memphis find? Send me your ideas of what you want to see on the blog, tag your Instagrams/Tweets #ilovememphis, and definitely say Hi if you see me out and about.

– Holly

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Author: Holly Whitfield

I write about what’s going on with Memphis music, food, arts, events, sports, people, and culture. Memphians love Elvis and barbeque with a passion that must be seen to be believed, but there is so much more to this place.